The invention relates to vehicle-attached carrying devices, and to a device particularly adapted for transporting golf bags and attached carts on the rear of an automobile.
A number of carrying devices for transporting various items such as bicycles and skis on the rear of an automobile have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,765,581 and 3,847,317. Some of the carriers have been collapsible or removable to varying degrees from the vehicle. Most have depended exclusively or primarily on the rear bumper for support and stability of the load. The device of the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,317 did derive some support from the trunk lid of the car on which it was to be attached.
There has been a need for a carrying device capable of supporting relatively heavy loads on the rear exterior of an automobile without cumbersome, heavy or bulky components, without interfering with the raising of the vehicle rear deck, whether it be a trunk or a hood, and with the ability to remove the majority of the device easily so that when the carrier is not in use, only a small unobtrusive portion remains attached to the exterior of the vehicle. This is particularly true in the case of golf bags and attached carts which normally have foldable wheel struts and pull handles. The bag and cart combination is often quite heavy and is also bulky. Thus, many car trunks will not receive even a single bag and cart inside, and even larger car trunks generally will not hold three or four bags and carts. Besides, the lifting of a heavy bag and cart and its placement in a car trunk require bending of the back and can cause back ache and injury. An exterior device for supporting such a heavy load should also be lightweight enough that it can be easily installed and removed and so that it does not add appreciably to the total load, while at the same time being sturdy enough that one, two or more golf bags or carts can be transported securely and stably.